Roofing method



June 15', 1965 H. M. RAPP 3,189,498

ROOFING METHOD I Original Filed Jan. 30. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l HARRYMICHAEL RAPP INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY June 15, 1965 HQ M. RAPP 3,189,498

ROOFING METHOD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 30, 1961 FIGS 95 9s93 I Z 53 as aa a ,94 [0O I89 9| 97 a| 9s HARRY MICHAEL RA PP mvgmoa BY4% 1-4 H ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,189,498 ROSFING METHQD HarryMichael Rapp, 8722 Lupton Lane, Houston, Tex. Original application Jan.30, 1961, Ser. No. 85,865, now Patent No. 3,148,164, dated ept. 8, 1964.Divided and this application Feb. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 171,482 4 Claims.(Ci. 156-71) This invention relates to a method for applying roofingmaterials. This is a division of my co-pending United States patentapplication, Serial No. 85,805, filed January 30, 1961, now US. PatentNo. 3,148,104.

One object of this invention is to provide a method of increasedefficiency for preparing and applying roofing materials.

Another object is to provide a method for reducing the time requirementsfor application of roofing seams to a roof.

This invention comprises novel functions and cooperations thereof aswell as novel combinations and structures of parts as will more fullyappear in the course of following description, of which description thedrawings attached hereto form a part.

In these drawings wherein like reference characters designate like partsin the several figures,

FIGURE 1 is a side View of the preferred-embodiment of apparatus of thisinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the device of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the device of FIG- URE 2 taken along thesection indicated by 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the zone 4 indicated withinarea shown by the dotted lines of FIGURES 2 and 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of an alternativeembodiment of this invention for large capacity application.

Generally, this invention provides for automatically conveniently,evenly, efficiently and rapidly applying to both sides of a glasswebbing a suflicient amount of roofing tar to make such webbing firmlyadhere to the roof therebelow. Additionally, the method automaticallyprovides for a thorough and even application of such amount of materialthrough the interstitial area of such webbing by such roofing material.This is done, generally, by forcing the tar or asphalt material to passthrough the webbing first from one direction and then through thewebbing in the other direction with removal of excess tar or asphalt.This application and removal is done evenly over the entire area of thewebbing. Following such proper application of the asphalt adhesivematerial to the webbing the webbing so treated with such adhesive andcarrying it is automatically and evenly pressed onto the roof to whichit is to be applied. The preceding application of the asphalt materialto the webbing and the application of the thus treated webbing to theroof are accomplished automatically on the movement of the webbing andthe material to impregnate such tape across the zone or seam to whichsuch webbing or tape is to be applied.

The process of this invention comprises automatically and continuouslyimpregnating roofing webbing with roofing tar and applying such webbingto a roof. The webbing is passed as a flat sheet through a volume of tarwhereby such roofing tar may thoroughly contact one or both surfaces ofsaid webbing. Pressure is then applied to one side of the tape by asurface of a relatively narrow cylindrical roller at an angle to theplane of said tape and lthe webbing tape is drawn against such surfaceso that such angled surface pressures the tarring material against thewebbing. This action also forces tar into the interstices of saidwebbing; in as much as there is tar in the interstices as well as on thesurface of the tape such tape has a greater affinity for holding tar oneither surface of such webbing than would be the case where theinterstices were not so filled. This method also fills the intersticesof the webbing all along the width of said webbing in an even manner.The thus impregnated webbing may preferably be again moved through tarwhereupon such tarring material adheres to both surfaces of saidwebbing. A straight-edge scraper is applied. above the level of said tarto one surface of said thus treated webbing and exerts a compressiveforce along its edge parallel to and close to a straight line in thesurface of a second narrow cylindrical roller; the second rollerprovides a surface at an angle to said webbing which forces tar throughthe Webbing in a direction opposite to that eifected by the firstroller. The scraper on the other side of said webbing from the rollercooperates with said roller to limit the Width of tarry material carriedalong on the top surface of said webbing. The webbing tape is thoroughlyand evenly impregnated with roofing material automatically and theamount of such material is predetermined and controlled. The thusimpregnated and tar-bearing tape is brought into contact with a roofingsurface to which such tape is to be applied while a predeterminedpressure is applied to such tape whereby to controllably and evenlypress the impregnated tape into contact with the surface with which saidtape is to be attached. These consecutive steps occur concurrently forincrements of webbing that are'continuously and consecutively laid onthe roof and while the supply of such webbing is continuously moved overthe area which is to be covered by the thus-impregnated webbing; 1

Generally, one preferred embodiment of an apparatus for effecting thisinvention, as in FIGURES 1-4, comprises, a container 20, which containeris composed of one side wall 21, another side wall, 22, paralleltherewith, a front wall 24 at right angles to said side walls and a rearwall 25 parallel to wall 24. These walls, with the floor 26, form acontainer. Walls 21 and 22, respectively, are attached to and supportvertical rear roller supports 27 and 27' which support the rear rolleraxle 23 parallel to plane of floor 26 and wall 24. Walls 21 and 22 also,respectively, support the middle roller supports 36 and 39' on whichmiddle roller 31 is adjustably supported in a plane parallel to wall 24.The box also supports and is strengthened by the front roller supports32 and 32 on which front roller 33 is supported parallel to plane offloor 26 and wall 24. These front roller supports also form anadjustable support for scraper blade 34 which is aligned parallel to thesurface of roller 33. U- frame 35 extends forward to the box 20 andsupports an advance roller 36. Wall 25 supports handle 23.

In operation of this device a roll of conventional glass or cottonwebbing, 38, as of about 20 squares to the linear inch is supported onthe axle 28 and the apparatus of FIGURE 1 is continuously moved indirection shown by arrow 29. The sheet of Webbing, 39, passes downwardthrough the volume of asphalt 49 in container 20 from the first roller28 to the bottom of the middle roller 31. Thereafter the sheet ofwebbing continuously passes over the front roller 33 and below thescraper 34 and out to and below the advance roller 36 which advanceroller presses the impregnatedwebbing ag'ainstthe' roof surface 42 towhich surface such Webbing is applied. The volume of asphalt primer orroof coating container in the box reaches the level 43, which level isindicated on the outside of the container by sensor '44. The middleroller 31 forces asphalt material downward through at least the topport-ion of the interstices of the webbing in contact. therewith. Onfurther passage of the Webbing upward through the volume 40 towards theupper surface .of the front roller, 33, asphalt adherent to the web bingsheet is carried upward'from level 43 on the bottom surface of thewebbing. The angle of rise of the sheet is sufiiciently steep to drainaway much of the tar from the webbing. Contact with the roller, 33,evenly forces asphalt on the bottom of the sheet upwardly through atleast the bottom portion of the interstices of the webbing, and also,such asphalt is evenly distributed over the bottom surface of the glasswebbing. Scraper blade 34 is in line with a radius of the roller 33 andforces the webbing and the tar carried thereby to pass through a narrowslit. This controls the amount of material. carried on the top of thewebbing mater-ial'as well as effecting the above described impregnationand distribution. Blade 34 maintains a reservoir or.pileup 45 of suchasphalt to provide a uniform layer of asphalt on top of the webbing andto provide for evening spreading of the asphalt across the width of thetop surface of webbing passing between the roller 33 and such scraper34.

' The thusimpregnated webbing is continuously brought into contact withthe roof 42 by the downward forcing action of the advance roller 36. Theroller 36 is held by the arms 146 and 147 of the frame 35. Such'arms, inturn, are each pivoted and supported about a stub axle or bolt in thefront roller support 32 and 32', the center line of s'uch axles beingco-axial and parallel to roller 33 and roller 36. Arms 146 and 147 areurged downwardly bysprings 148 and 148', respectively, which springs areeach attached to an adjacent portion of the'middle roller support 30 or30'. v

Each rear roller support as 27 and 27' is a plate in which is provided abearing surface as 49 'on which is supported a heavy wooden dowel axle28. This is about 15 inches long and 1 inch in diameter in the preferredembodiment'and is sufiiciently sturdy to support six inch diameter'12.inches long roll of glass webbing, 38. Stub axles 28' and 28" projectfromthis dowel: the plates. 27

' a'nd 27' are mounted with sufiicient'flexibility' to permitreplacement'of the'webbin'g' roll rapidly and conveniently.

U-fr-ame comprises a central shaft 52 supported by upwardly extendingsturdy parallel arms 53 and 54z each such arm is provided near its topwith a bolt 55 and 56, respectively, which fits into the slot as 48 and49, :respectively and such bolts are each provided with a wingnut,

for adjustments of the distance of spacing ofthe bottom of the scraperfrom the most adjacent surface of the front roller 33. The scraper isthus controllably movable back and forth in the slots 64 and 65 in thefront roller supports 32 and 33. Springs 74 and 74' are provided to holdthe scraper toward the surface of the front roller, and permit releaseof the scraper for insertioniof refills of webbing tape. a

In the preferred embodiment the arms 1'47 and 1460f the frame 36'aremade of /8" X l 'steel bars and are 16' inches long from the center ofthe advance roller 36 to the pivot as 78 therefor on the support 32 or32'. The front roller is 1 /2 inches in diameter. and 14 inches wide for12 inch webbing and 40 inches wide for36 inch roll of webbing. Thesidewall 22 would be 14 inches wide and 6 inches high, the Whole made ofNo. l0 gauge galvanized sheet with angles 60 and 60 of x1" x 1" steeland A; inch thick steel plate for the rear roller sup- 7 ports 27 and27'. The middle roller 31 is readily movable to any desired height bythe thurnscrews 57 and'58 as desired in order to keep such middle rollatan appropriate height relative to the level of the asphalt 40 in,container 20, as indicated by sensors 44 and 44, for properimpregnationof the webbing with the asphalt'40. In operation adequate tension iskept on spring 148and l4S'toprov-ide firm adherence of the asphaltimpregnated Webbing to the roof. a 7

in operation when the temperature is about 80 degrees F. the bottom ofthe middle roller'31 is preferably kept at 1 inch below the surface 43;at 90 degrees F., 2 inches below the surface; at 110 degrees F. at 2 /2inches below the surf-ace. 7

When the weather is colder the roller; 31 is'adjusted by the thumbscrewas 57, 58 above described so that said.

roller is barely beneath the surface of the asphalt ma terial. Thetension of the springs 148 and 1 48 are adjusted for advance roller 36so that contact of the impregnated webbing is not lost with the roof.surface 42 once contact is made between said impregnated webbing as57'and 58 respectively, thereby the roller 31 may be readily moved upwardlyanddownwardly. in the container 20 in a plane defined by the slots 48and 49 for control of level of the roller and for insertion'of refillsof new tape with convenience and rapidity. V V

The front roller supports 32 and 32'each comprise one steel angle 60 and61'at each of, the front corners of container 20. Near the top of eachangle a bearing 62 and 63 respectively isprovided'for roller 33 whichroller isin the preferred embodiment a wooden shaft of about 1 /2 inchdiameter and .15 inch length. The angles 60 and 61 are each providedwith a ,slot64. and 65 respectively at an angle of approximately 45degrees to the vertical and, more generally, at anacut angle and saidroof surface. In operation suflicient of the asphalt roofing material isadded to provide that the middle roller 31 is kept below the surface ofthe material in the container preferably as above given, dependentiupon.

the temperature. The roller at the rear .28 and the front roller 33 turnfreely as well as does the". middle roller 31'. In operation the axes ofrollers 28, 31, 33, and 36 are maintained parallel to each otheralthough the height of roller 31 varies and roller 36 may be rotatedabout the axis between the pivots (as 78) for arms 146 and 147.Adjustments for tension of springs 148 and 148' are provided byadjustable lengtheners 248 and 248'."

According to this invention it isvery easy. to controllably and rapidlyand evenly put about3ga1lons'of asphalt per squarei(each 10 feet byIO'feet measure) of the roofing covered. The position ofthe scraper34jrelative to roller 33 may be regulated to give 4 to 5 gallons of tarper square if the roof is dry. Itiis to .be noted that thedevice of thisinvention forces the materialinto the glass webbing from both sides.Accordingly the webbing is well and evenly saturated therewith before itcontacts the roof. Further, the use of the advance roller as abovedescribed avoids wrinkling of the webbing. The absolutaamount'. of forceon the advance roller 36 depends on the roofing material used; whenthere. are thinner or penetrating oils in the asphalt material then theforce required would be less. If the roofing .material has asbestosfiber therein, the application'pressure is necessarily greater. It is tobe notedthat the small number:

of roofing parts appliedhereto and the very lightweight ofthe entireapparatus permit it 'to'be readilyf handled While thedevice hereinabovedescribed'mayibe sup-.

ported by hand it has a wedge 50 therebelow for purposes of moving itover the surface of the roof to which the impregnated Webbing materialis applied. A set of wheels may be substituted for the wedge 50.

The rollers as 36 may be grooved or smooth. In the preferred embodimentthe roller supports 27, and 27 are made of A2 inch steel as are themiddle roller supports and 36'. Angles 6i and 61 are 1 inch Ls made of Ainch steel. Additionally, a lower frame 99, also made of 1 inch Ls undereach side member as 22 and 21 support the container on skid or slide 50.Supports 27, 30 and 61 are bolted to and so reinforce walls of thecontainer 20.- These supports are welded to the bottom frame, as 99 and99', on each side of the container. The above described device isadapted for the application of 12 inch wide rolls of webbing; in suchuse rollers 28, 31, 33 and 36 are 14 to 155 inches wide: for a 36 inchwide roll of Webbing these rollers would be 40 inches wide and thebottom of the container and the front and the rear walls would also be40 inches wide. The device of FIG- URES 1 to 4 would otherwise beunchanged for use of such wider rolls. Box 20 is 4 inches wider than itscontained rollers.

The advantage of the use of this apparatus and method is demonstrated bythat in normal operations it requires some 7 men 6 hours working bynormal hand application to lay 18 seams each feet long, while 7 menworking 18 hours can lay 180 seams each 75 feet long and additionally 10seams of 190 feet length using the apparatus of FIGURE 1. All theseseams were 4 inches wide. Accordingly, hand operations provides some1350 feet of seams laid in 42 man hours or 32 feet per man hour, whileuse of the device of this invention provides some 15,450 feet of seamsfor 126 man hours or a total of 116 feet per man hour using the deviceof this operation compared with the usual manual attempts and proceduresof affecting cold mopping operations on the roof.

Another apparatus within the scope of this invention and using some ofthe process thereof is shown in FIG- URE 5. The device of the FIGURE 5provides for rollers and utilization of the weight of the material beingapplied as a force to urge the impregnated tape and into contact withthe roof.

This device comprises a container supported on a roller 81. A roll ofwebbing 82 to be dispensed is supported on an axle 97 which is supportedin the same manner as axle 28 above described on a vertically adjustablemounting 83. This container is provided with a sensor float 85 wherebyto measure the depth of the webbing material 82 in the contained volumeof asphalt 86 relative to the height of roll 82. The mounting 83 keepsthe bottom peripheral surface of the roll of webbing 82 in contact withthe tar 86. A scraper 9t) operates with respect thereto in somewhat thesame manner as scraper 34 above described with relation to the roller33. Container 80 is 40" wide, 20" long and high.

The edge of scraper blade is parallel to axis of roller 87 andcontrollably positioned with respect thereto; scraper blade 9t) is at anacute angle to the plane of the sheet of webbing, 100, to control thethickness of asphalt carried by the webbing as well as improve thepenetration of asphalt on the left side (as seen in FIGURE 5) of thewebbing into the interstices of the webbing. The tar adheres to thewebbing material which passes over rollers 87supported by mounting 83androllers 88 and 89 (which latter are supported by U-frames 188 and 189,which are firmly positioned on container 86) and then below the roller81. The asphalt roofing is thus applied only to one surface of the roll84. According to this device, the weight of the container 80, and itscontents serves to apply the impregnated webbing material to the roof 91while the operator 92 moves this apparatus l over the roof in thedirectiongof the arrow 192.

In the apparatus of FIGURE 5 the support 83 comprises a pair of slottedvertical arms 93 and 93' fixed to p the sides, as 94 and 94', of therectangular container 80.

Each of the vertical supports as 93 has a bearing support as 96, for anupper roller 87. A roll of roofing webbing 82 is loosely supported on arod 97, which rod is rotatably supported at its ends on upwardlyextended rigid arms 98 and 99. (In the preferred embodiment arms 98 and99 as well as arms 93 and 93' would be 1% inch wide A; inch thick steelbars.) Arms 98 and 99 are attached by screws and wingnuts as 99 to theslot and 95' in the arms 93 and 93 to keep the webbing roll 82 at theproper level with respect to the asphalt roofing material 86 incontainer as above described with respect to roller 31.

It is within the scope of this invention that the webbing applicationassembly of FIGURE 5 be used in combination with the impregnationapparatus of FIGURES 1-4 when heavy volumes of tar are to be moved andwide tapes applied by providing frames as 188 and 189 and rollers as.83, 89 and 91 in place of the U-frame 35 on container 20.

Also, the above descriptions have been for application to a fiat roof;for application to a sloped roof, the-wheels or rollers under the frame99 may be adjusted to compensate for such slope to keep the contents ofthe container 2% level and the arms 46 and 47 appropriately lengthenedas provided for by additional pivot holes 200 and 201 so that the roller35 lies fiat against the roof surface to which the impregnated webbingis to be applied. The embodiment of FIGURE 5 may also be used on slopingroofs by adjusting the supports for the bottom roller 81 so that thecontents of the container 89 are maintained level while the bottomroller 81 maintains even contact with the sloped surface to which theimpregnated webbing is to be applied.

It will accordingly be seen that thi invention provides a process whichsimplifies and reduces the cost of the procedues usually involved inapplying cold mop roof material this is in addition to the cleanlinessof the finished operations. Cold mopping according to the process anddevice above described is a convenience to do-it-yoursclfmechanics aswell as for industrial users who are interested in the economy of thelabor as well as of material resultant from use of the process of thisinvention.

Though I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, Ido not wish to be limited thereto, but desire to include in the scope ofmy invention the constructions, combinations and arrangementssubstantially as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of automatically impregnating roofing webbing and applyingsame to a roof surface in a predetermined path comprising the steps ofdrawing a sheet of said webbing through a body of liquid tar in acontainer therefor and thereafter drawing one side of said sheet ofwebbing against a first firm surface at an acute angle to said sheet ofwebbing, thereby pressing the liquid tar into the interstices of saidwebbing and forcing tar through the webbing in a first direction, andthereafter passing the other side of said sheet of webbing materialagainst a second firm surface above the level of the liquid tar at anacute angle to the plane of said webbing and forcing tar through thewebbing in a direction opposite to said first di rection while a thirdfirm scraping surface parallel to said second firm surface is inproximity to the first side of said sheet of webbing and continuouslydownwardly applying a portion of the weight of said body of tar to theupper surface of said thus impregnated sheet of webbing downwardly incontact with the roof surface while moving said body of liquid in saidpredetermined path.

2. Process as in claim 1 including the step of increasing and decreasingthe depth in the body of liquid below the top thereof at which depth thesheet of webbing is drawn against the first firm surface and the tarforced through the webbing as the temperature of the liquid tarincreases and decreases respectively.

3. A method of automatically and continuously impregnating roofingwebbing and applying same to a roof surface in a predetermined pathcomprising the steps of continuously drawing a sheet of saidwebbingthrough a body of liquid tar in a containertherefor and thereafterdrawing one side of saidwebbing in contact with a first surface at anacute angle to a first side of said webbing thereby pressing the liquidtar downwardly into the interstices of said webbing and forcing tarthrough the webbing in a first direction, adjusting the height of thetar above said surface at the level of said contact between one and 2 /2inches during a temperature range of 80 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit andthereafter continuously passing said webbing through and out of thetarry, material and thereafter passing the other side of said webbingmaterial against a second firm surface above the level of the liquid tarat an acute angle to the plane of said webbing and forcing tar throughthe webbing in a direction opposite to said first direction while athird lfirm scraping surface parallel to the second surface along a lineof contact of said webbing and said second surface is in contact withthe other side of said sheet of webbing, followed by continuouslyapplying a portion of the weight of said body of tar to the top of thethus-impregnated sheet of webbing to urge said thus impregnated sheet ofwebbing downward into bing into contact with the roof surface. 7

contact with the roofsurface while drawing said body of liquid in saidpredetermined path. 4. Process as in claim 3 wherein the entire weightof the body of liquid tar is applied downwardly to the top of theimpregnated sheet of' webbing to urge said sheet of web- ReferencesCited by the Examiner UNITED STATES, PATENTS 1 1,309,858 7/19 Jones117111 1,636,750 7/27 Miller 117111 1,751,889 3/30 Sculley 11771112,192,290 3/40 ONeal 156575, 2,366,674 1/45 Petty -156----71 2,500,5833/50 Smith 156-575 2,565,319 8/51 Newman ,118419 2,949,206 8/60 Figge156-575 3,094,447 6/63 Chamberlain 15671 :EARL M. BERGERT, PrimaryExaminer/ HAROLD ANSHER, Examiner.

1. A METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY IMPREGNATING ROOFING WEBBING AND APPLYINGSAME TO A ROOF SURFACE IN A PREDETERMINED PATH COMPRISING THE STEPS OFDRAWING A SHEET OF SAID WEBBING THROUGH A BODY OF LIQUID TAR IN ACONTAINER THEREFOR AND THEREAFTER DRAWING ONE SIDE OF SAID SHEET OFWEBBING AGAINST A FIRST FIRM SURFACE AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO SAID SHEET OFWEBBING, THEREBY PRESSING THE LIQUID TAR INTO THE INTERSTICES OF SAIDWEBBING AND FORCING TAR THROUGH THE WEBBING IN A FIRST DIRECTION, ANDTHERAFTER PASSING THE OTHER OF SIDE OF SAID SHEET OF WEBBING MATERIALAGAINST A SECOND FIRM SURFACE ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE LIQUID TAR AT ANACUTE ANGLE TO THE PLANE OF SAID WEBBING AND FORCING TAR THROUGH THEWEBBING IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID FIRST DIRECTION WHILE A THIRDFIRM SCRAPING SURFACE PARALLEL TO SAID SECOND FIRM SURFACE IS INPROXIMITY TO THE FIRST SIDE OF SAID SHEET OF WEBBNG AND CONTINUOUSLYDOWNWARDLY APPLYING A PORTION OF THE WEIGHT OF SAID BODY OF TAR TO THEUPPER SURFACE OF SAID THUS IMPREGNATED SHEET OF WEBBING DOWNWARDLY INCONTACT WITH THE ROOF SURFACE WHILE MOVING SAID BODY OF LIQUID IN SAIDPREDETERMINED PATH.